This invention relates in general to roof systems and erection methods and deals more particularly with an improved prefabricated roof structure assembled from a plurality of roof modules and particularly adapted to house solar energy collectors.
The high cost of building construction coupled with the high cost of energy and the need to conserve energy resources has created a need for improved building structures which may be erected at reasonable cost and which provide for the efficient utilization of celestial energy sources for heating, lighting and air conditioning, as present technology allows, with minimal requirements for conventional backup systems. Most presently available solar energy collector systems utilize some form of collector panel which must be supported in upwardly inclined position for optimal solar incidence. Such panel structures are usually supported on the roof of a building and require substantial supporting structure for wind bracing. The panels and associated plumbing and supporting structure, being mere building appendages, tend to detract from the aesthetic qualities of most buildings. Further, the exposed position of the panels and portions of the plumbing system associated therewith invariably result in heat loss to the atmosphere, which materially reduces the thermal efficiency of the system. The lack of compatible building structures has generally prevented such solar energy collection systems from achieving full potential.
The cost of a roof system generally comprises a substantial portion of the total cost of a building. In erecting a conventional roof structure a variety of equipment and considerable manpower of varying skills may be required to handle, process, and assemble the assortment of items from which the roof system is made. A considerable portion of the roof assembly work must be performed from ladders or staging with inherent risk to the workmen. Additional high work may be required to install required mechanical equipment associated with the roof structure, such as heating, lighting, electrical, ventilating equipment and the like, after the roof has been enclosed, requiring additional skilled labor and introducing additional elements of risk to the workmen who perform these tasks. The present invention is directed to the aforedescribed general problems. More specifically, it is a general aim of the invention to provide an improved roof structure, particularly adapted to support solar energy panels within a building envelope, assembled from shop fabricated roof modules suitable for highway transportation from the shop to a job site and which may be hoisted directly from a carrier to a supporting structure to provide finished roof coverage for a substantial portion of the supporting structure with each hoist.